To be honest, I don’t care whether or not you use gas or charcoal. And it’s up to you whether or not you cook your steak until it’s gray on the inside. But I will not stand for you trying to use salad tongs to flip kabobs. Nor will I tolerate your blatant disregard for silicone basters. And I find the fact that you use a short-handled spatula to flip burgers absolutely unsettling.

This week, you can just call me ShopGrill. I’ve long held the belief that the right accessories can make an outfit. And this holds true for your grilling getup as well. A Maine summer is simply too short to use bad barbecue accoutrements.

The right tools don’t have to be expensive – ShopGuy and I picked up a high-quality spatula, tongs and grill brush at Marden’s for $2.50 apiece – but they can make all the difference between a good piece of meat and a melt-in-your-mouth, must-ask-for-seconds pork tenderloin.

You can find the essentials – tongs, brush, long fork and spatula – anywhere, from the dollar spot at Target to the way-more-than-a-dollar spot at Williams-Sonoma. No matter where you shop, you need to keep two things in mind: the weight of the tool and the strength of the metal. Pick up that fork. See how it feels in your hand. Try to bend it. If it gives, you might want to look elsewhere.

The baster, while not essential, is in the second tier of grilling must-haves. I’ve seen everything from the standard bristle brush to the barbecue mop and bucket getup, which seems like a bear to clean. This is a matter of personal preference. Since I’m a bit of a germ freak, I like the dishwasher-safe silicone brush, which cleans up quickly and easily. I found mine for $6.99 at Marshalls.

If you’re a bristle brush aficionado, you may want to consider stocking up on chip brushes at your local hardware store. They’re pretty much the same thing you’d find at a kitchen boutique, minus the fancy handle and high price tag. Plus, once they get gunky, you won’t feel guilty about tossing them.

One of the coolest new gadgets I’ve seen is the silicone bottle brush, which turns a bottle of marinade or barbecue sauce into a full-service baster. It looks a bit like a giant squid, but it gets the job done. I found mine at Linens ‘n’ Things for $9.99.

While I was there, I made a frivolous impulse buy: wooden picks that distinguish among rare, medium-rare, medium and well-done meat. Perfect for entertaining – and they only cost $2.99. Another nonessential, yet highly impressive, accessory is the barbecue brand from Williams-Sonoma. With this sizzling hot tool, you can make like a cowboy and emblazon your initials on steaks, burgers, even salmon. It costs $39.95 at Williams-Sonoma.com.

It’s not exactly cowboy cooking, but I’m fascinated with the portable bucket grill from Sagaform. It’s sleek, fun and a steal at $34.95 (www.broadwaypanhandler.com). I’m also curious about the whole beer-can chicken phenomenon. I’m a bit late to the game, but I couldn’t resist the basic chicken cooker I found at Bed Bath & Beyond. At $6.99, I won’t regret it, even if I don’t like the finished product.

One product I know I’m going to love is kabobs on the rounded skewers I picked up at Marshalls. Now, I know you’re asking yourself, “Why would anyone need rounded skewers?” I asked the same thing, until my colleague Jessica Bloch pointed out the obvious: they don’t hang off the side of your plate like the straight kind. Brilliant. And a brilliant buy at $5.99 for four.

Of course, I’ll need a great marinade for said kabobs, and though my current favorite is the Maine-made Hick Lickin’ Good Mango-Chipotle Sauce, I found a huge selection of exotic sauces at T.J. Maxx ‘n’ More in Bangor. The offerings are tempting – I grabbed a ginger jerk marinade – and the prices are, too.

For even more flavor, I plan to pick up some wine-soaked oak chips from Winterport Winery. They come in apple or blackberry flavors and cost $1.50 for a 10-ounce bag. They’ll add a wine-laced, smoky flavor to the grill.

After all, isn’t flavor what it’s all about? Well, that and not burning the hair off your forearms as you try to flip burgers? Absolutely. And good taste is easy if you remember ShopGrill’s advice: Accessorize, accessorize, accessorize.

ShopGirl would love to hear from you! Send questions, comments or suggestions by e-mail to: kandresen@bangordailynews.net, by U.S. mail to Kristen Andresen, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329, or by fax to 941-9476. For exclusive online shopping tips, click on the ShopBlog icon on the bottom of the BDN homepage: bangordailynews.com.